With Friends Like These
Today was an average day in Royal Woods, Michigan. And it was also a special day a certain 16-year-old teenager has been waiting for. Keith Fong, a junior in high school, was walking down the crosswalk after waiting on the stoplight with one of his three best friends, experienced chef and 17-year-old, Dominic McCormick. They had recently gotten done with school so they were still wearing their school bags. Keith had on a blue messenger bag while Dominic had a red backpack strapped on. Keith: “Thanks again for coming with me, Dominic.” Dominic: “Wouldn't miss it. We know how much you've been looking forward to this, Keith.” Keith: “And after spending all that time doing chores, homework and other work around the apartment to save up on my allowance, this'll make it all worth it.” Dominic: “Fer sure. Just think of everything you'll be able to do once you get it.” Keith: “Yeah. I can play my favorite music and maybe even make some of my own.” Dominic: “Your own music, your own songs, singles, who knows? You might become the next Chet Gregor.” Keith: “Ha, I could, couldn't I?” Dominic: “You could even enter the school's next talent show.” Keith: “Yeah, maybe. If I get good enough on it, that is.” Dominic: “I know you'll be good enough. Brain, Joanna and I, we got all the faith in the world in you.” Keith then glanced at his friend and smiles at his inspiring words. Keith: “Thanks, Dom.” His friend responds with a grin and pats him on the back. They continued down the block until they had arrived at the front doors of a music shop in town called “Music 4 Us”. They examined the sign on the shop that was specially customized with different colored neon lights and the dot on the i was replaced with a disco ball. Dominic: “Here we are, buddy. You ready for this?” Keith: “You know it.” They step through the doors and were in awe at the many instruments lined up on the shelves, the walls and the floor as they walked through the store. From trumpets to clarinets, pianos to violins and even the instrument Keith has his mind set on; guitars. Though, the problem right now was that they couldn't find where they were. So, they turn their attention to an African American man with his hair in dreadlocks, a shirt with the store's logo and khaki shorts as he was arranging a shelf of songbooks. The two teens approach him and Keith gets his attention. Keith: “Excuse me.” When the man turns around, they see a gray streak in his hair and his name tag with the words “Owner” and “Bernie” written on it and he greets his customers with rhymes and a smile. Bernie: “Well, hello there. My name is Bernie, also known as your friendly neighborhood music attorney. Welcome to “Music 4 Us”, where making rhymes and selling music goods is our business. They both raised an eyebrow and glance at each other after listening to his rhyming. Word on the street was that the owner of this store was a musician at one point and now uses his rhyming to entertain and inspire his customers. Bernie: “So, what can I do for you boys today? Just say the word and I will show you the way.” Keith: “We're here to get me a new guitar.” Bernie: “Ah, I see you are enthusiastic. But, do you want something more specific?” Keith: “Oh, uh, yeah. An acoustic guitar.” Bernie: “Well, lucky for you, we got plenty of those in stock. Right this way if you will. Let's take a walk.” The two boys follow the owner pass the drums, trumpets and piano before they reach the acoustic guitars lined up on the wall. Bernie: “Now, go ahead and choose which one you like the best and I'll handle the rest.” The rhyming owner took a step back and watches them browse. Keith brought a finger to his chin while he was in deep thought about which guitar he would want. Each one had different styles and colors, as well as different prices. Dominic: “There are plenty of guitars here. They all look pretty fresh. Do you know which one you're looking for?” Keith: “I'm thinking. Umm… Hmm…” Keith has $150 in his pocket. That was the total amount of allowance money he had been saving up. He was wanting to pick the one that looks good but did not go over his price range. After spending a minute or two looking through the acoustics, he finally points out the one he wants. Keith: “That one. That one right there.” Bernie: “Ah, the EnPinaccle DR200. Excellent choice. Soon, it will be time for you to rejoice.” Bernie picks up the guitar his customer chose from the wall and heads on over to the checkout counter. Keith was about to follow, but his friend grasps his arm to get his attention. Dominic: “Hold up, Keith.” Keith: “What's up?” Dominic: “You think maybe you wanna also get something to keep it looking fresh? You know, so it doesn't get dusty or if Ali and Roxy were to get near it.” Keith: “Oh yeah, good call.” Dominic then leads him to where he had noticed various bags and cases were at and Keith browses through them until he picks out a black gig bag that caught his eye. With that done, the two teens head over to the checkout counter where Bernie was waiting with the guitar. The owner noticed the bag they were bringing over and grins. Bernie: “Ah, I knew there was something I liked about you. You haven't even bought this yet and already you're thinking ahead about keeping this looking brand new.” At the counter, Keith had noticed a small box filled with guitar picks and decides to also purchase one along with the instrument and bag. The bored and unenthusiastic cashier clerk rings them up and tells him the total. Clerk: “That'll be $144.52, sir.” Keith had taken the $150 out from his hoodie pocket and hands it to the clerk. After giving the customer his change, he places the acoustic guitar inside the gig bag, zips it up and hands it to him, along with the purchased pick. Keith: “Finally. Thanks so much, Bernie.” Bernie: “You are quite welcome. Doing business with you was certainly a treat. Do come again whenever you like. That would most definitely be neat.” And with that, the two teens bid Bernie farewell and find their way outside the store where Keith had brought out his brand new instrument from his brand new bag. Keith: “All right. Check it out, I finally got my own guitar.” Dominic: “Yeah, man, it looks tight. Though, I think Joanna would probably lose her mind with all that rhyming that Bernie guy was doing.” Keith: “Yeah, probably. But, you gotta admit, he really knows how to free style.” Dominic: “True, I'll give him that.” And then, a ring tone sound goes off and Dominic takes out his smart phone to read a text message he received. After reading the whole message, he pockets his phone and says, Dominic: “Well, I'd better be going. Mama wants me to see her at her work soon.” Keith: “That's cool. In the meantime, I'm gonna head over to the park and give this baby a whirl.” Dominic: “All right, have fun, man. Peace out.” Keith: “Laters, Dom.” After waving his friend goodbye and watching him walk down the sidewalk, Keith places the guitar back inside the gig bag, zips it up and straps it on his back as he goes to the park. -------- There were plenty of people around the park. All of them were doing their own things. Riding their bikes, having picnics, playing frisbee, and other activities. Keith had just arrived and the first place he goes to was the park bench that was at the center of the park. He takes a seat, sets both of his bags down, takes out his brand new guitar and takes another minute to admire it. He had spend so much time doing so much work at his apartment until his mother finally gave him the right amount of allowance money he had been saving up for this moment. Keith: “Okay, here we go.” He straps on the guitar, takes out the pick from the gig bag and strums the strings for the first time. At first, he was just messing around, making some noise. But when he attempted to be more serious with the instrument and play a song, he was having no such luck for the past five minutes. Just then, three jocks from his school were walking past him and seize an opportunity to poke fun at him. Jock: “Nice guitar, big brows. Haw haw haw!” Keith had glared at the departing jocks for their little comment about his bushy eyebrows. That was one of the few ways that people could get on Keith Fong's bad side. However, he takes a deep breath to maintain his composure. He continues trying with his guitar, but with little success. Keith: “This is… a bit harder than I expected it to be.” While he was trying to play his instrument, Luna Loud, the rock and roll member of the Loud family, was walking through the park with her axe strapped on when she had noticed a guy playing an acoustic. She could tell by the sound of it that he was a rookie musician. Luna decides to have a conversation with him as she walks up to the side of the bench and leans on it. Luna: “What's up, dude?” Keith: “Huh? Oh, um, hello.” Luna: “That's a pretty sweet guitar you got there.” Keith: “Thanks. I just got it a few minutes ago. Yours looks pretty cool, too. Is that an axe?” Luna: “Yes, it is. Good eye. Name's Luna Loud, by the way. And you?” Keith: “I'm Keith Fong.” He holds out his hand, she grabs it and they do a handshake. Luna: “So, whatcha doing out here in the park?” Keith: “I'm trying to figure out how to play this well, but I'm having some trouble hitting the right notes, if you know what I mean.” Luna: “That I do. Thing is, you can't expect to be a pro right off the bat. Rocking with a guitar takes lots and lots of practice.” Keith: “Yeah, I get it. How long have you been playing guitar?” Luna: “Me? I've been learning how to rock ever since 7th grade. Check it.” She spins her guitar three times before she started playing one of her favorite songs by Mick Swagger. The music had caught the park goers attention as they gathered around to watch her rocking away with her axe. Keith was watching in awe at how skilled she was with it. Luna also starts pulling off some moves as she kept strumming away. Moves like the duckwalk, windmill strumming and tongue wagging. She gears up for a big finish after doing the splits, stands up straight and then finishes the song by jumping in the air from behind the bench and then slides across the grass on her knees. Luna: “YEAH! THANK YOU!” After the small crowd gave her a round of applause, they all dispersed and went back to their business. Keith had clapped a few more times before he said, Keith: “Wow, that was… You were totally awesome.” Luna: “Thank you. Thank you very much.” Keith: “Man, you made that look so easy. I really hope I can be that good someday.” Luna then spent a moment looking at him, watching as he was strumming a few more strings on his new guitar. She could tell that he was serious about wanting to be great with his instrument and that he has potential. That's when an idea came to mind about how to help him reach his potential. Luna: “If you'd like, I can help you out by giving you a few pointers in how to play that bad boy like a pro.” Keith: “Really?” Luna: “Totally.” Keith: “Yeah, that- that would be great.” Luna: “Aw yeah. This is gonna be rocking!” She then plays a few chords in celebration and throws up the goats while sticking out her tongue. Keith: “Nice. So, when will be a good time to get started?” The rocker then brought her finger up to her chin while giving it some thought. Soon, she snaps her fingers, reaches into her pocket to replace her pick with a notepad and pencil to write something down. Luna: “Tell ya what, why don't you come on over to my place tomorrow after school and then I can help get you started on the path of rocking.” She rips out the paper she had written on from the notepad, hands it to Keith and he reads an address written on it; 1216 Franklin Avenue. Keith: “Okay, I can do that.” Luna: “See you then, dude. Stay cool.” Keith: “Yeah. I'll, uh, I'll see you then.” After watching her leave, he pockets the paper in his back pocket, packs up his guitar and makes his way out of the park with his things to head back to his apartment. -------- The Royal Woods Rosemary Apartments. Home sweet home. It wasn't fancy, but the price was right. The perks about living in the apartment here was that Keith and all three of his best friends were living next door to each other, and he was allowed to keep his two dogs with him and his mother rather than try to do it in secret. When he went through the front doors, Keith had walked up a set of stairs and then down the hallway where he finds his two other best friends. There was 16-year-old wheelchair-bound I.T. expert, Brian Watts, and their 17-year-old tough as nails leader, Joanna Gilbert with her notepad. They had just finished their own conversation outside of the door to Brian's apartment. Keith: “Hey there, Brian. Hey, Joanna.” They both heard him calling and turn their attention to their best friend. Joanna: “There you are, Keith.” Brian: “You're back. Dominic told us that you finally got that guitar. Can we see it?” Keith: “You bet. Check it out.” He sets the gig bag down, unzips it and shows off his new instrument. Brian: “Wow.” Joanna: “Very nice. Have you started playing it yet?” Keith: “Well, kinda. I mean, I was at the park earlier where I tried to, but I couldn't exactly get it right.” Brian: “That's too bad. Well, I'm positive you'll get better at it given enough time and practice.” Keith: “Actually, that's what I wanted to tell you guys about.” Joanna: “What do you mean?” Keith: “I met this girl while I was at the park. She's offered to teach me how to properly play this thing.” Brian: “Really? Well, that was generous of her.” Joanna: “Did she mention her name?” Keith: “Uh huh. Her name's Luna Loud.” Joanna: “Hmm, that name sounds familiar. I think she goes to our school. Is she good?” Keith: “Oh yeah. She was carrying an axe with her and really knew how to strike a cord.” Joanna: “An axe? I thought we were talking about guitars?” Keith: “We are. It's a slang word for an electric guitar.” Joanna: “Ah, I see. So, when are you gonna meet with her?” Keith: “Tomorrow after school. At her place. Would that be okay with you?” Joanna: “Yeah, it's fine. Though, I'd appreciate it if you can be back before 5:00 tomorrow so that we'll still have time to get that project done.” Keith: “You have my word.” Joanna: “Good. Now, if you guys will excuse me, I need to go over the details on this idea for the fundraiser the school council has in mind.” Keith: “Okay, Talk to you later, Jo.” Joanna had walked past the boys and toward the direction Keith just came from while writing on her notepad until she had gone inside her apartment. Brian: “Well, hopefully this little music session with this “Luna Loud” goes well tomorrow.” Keith: “Yup. Here's hoping.” Brian: “Anyway, I should get back to work on this new app I'm developing after I get today's homework completed. I'll let you and the others know what it is when its finished. Adios, Keith.” Keith: “Laters, Bri.” Brian had rolled back into his apartment while Keith goes down the hallway to return to his, which was next door to Dominic's. After locking the door behind him, he was greeted by two very excited little dogs. A male beagle named Ali and a female schnauzer named Roxy. Keith: “Hey, Ali. Hey, Roxy. How you two doing?” He bends down to their level and pets them both behind the ears. It would be another hour before his mother got back home from work. Until then, he decides that now would be a good time to take his dogs out for a walk before he gets started with his own homework. With both of the dogs following their owner, he brings all his things to his bedroom, setting the gig bag beside the bed and his school bag on top of it. The two dogs start sniffing the new bag, curious about what was inside it. They were unaware that their owner had already retrieved the leash with a coupler attachment, hooks the leash onto the dogs' collars, pockets two poop bags, a hand full of dog treats and leads them out the front door to start their evening walk. THE NEXT DAY Keith was now standing in front of the Loud residence while looking at the address written on the paper he was given yesterday to make sure he was at the right house and then surveys the property. Keith: “Well, this is the place. At least it's not too far from the apartments.” He puts the paper in his back pocket and approaches the house. But just as he steps on the first wooden step, it breaks and his foot goes right through it. Keith: “Oops. Ah.” He steps over the broken step and walks toward the door while guiltily looking back at the step he broke and knocks on the door using the “Shave and a Haircut” pattern and then rings the doorbell, but receives a shock from it. Keith: “EEEEAAAAHH! OW! Ooh.” He brought his zapped finger to his mouth and then shortly after, Luna opens the door and frowns when she realizes what happened. Luna: “Ah, shoot. Sorry about that, dude. Forgot to warn you about that thing. You okay?” Keith: “Yeah, I'm fine. But, I may or may not have broken one of the front steps back there.” Luna: “Oh, that's no biggie. That happens all the time. My dad can fix it no prob.” Keith: “Oh. That's good to know, I guess.” Luna: “Anyways, welcome to Casa Loud.” She opens the door all the way and steps to the side to allow the guest in. When Keith had stepped inside the first thing he notices was how loud it was. And then, the athlete member of the Loud family, Lynn, was in the kitchen with her soccer ball when she pulls her foot back for a strong kick and shouts, Lynn: “And she shoots!” Keith looks to the right from where the shouting came from, sees the soccer ball get launched from the kitchen, ricochets all around the dining room until it flies toward Keith's face. Keith: “Whoa!” The teen ducks to avoid being hit square in the face by the ball, but just barely. It bounced off the living room wall and then came to a rolling stop in front of him. Lynn had noticed what Keith had done, runs over to retrieve the ball and points her finger at him. Lynn: “Dude, nice reflexes.” Keith: “Um, thank you.” After that, Lynn kicks the soccer ball back to the kitchen. Keith sees the family's dog and cat, named Charles and Cliff, running past his feet towards the living room where he had noticed an 11-year-old boy with white hair sitting on the couch playing a video game, named Lincoln. Keith stared with curiosity, thinking about how it seemed unusual for the color of the boy's hair was until he was snapped out of his revery when the father of the family, Lynn Sr., had approached him and Luna. Lynn Sr.: “Well now, who do we have here?” Luna: “This is the guy I told you about that was gonna come over today for a little guitar 101. Dad, meet Keith. Keith, meet Dad.” Keith: “Hello. Nice to meet you, sir. Thank you for having me over.” He holds his hand out for a handshake and the father accepts it. Lynn Sr.: “The pleasure is all mine. Make yourself at home, and please, call me Mr. Loud.” Luna: “Come on, dude. Let's head up to my room so we can get started.” The rocker had proceeded towards the stairs and Keith had followed after her. But when he had placed his hand on the handrail of the stairs and went up two steps, he stopped when he hears a creaking noise and the handrail had suddenly shattered to pieces. Keith gasped in surprise at what just happened and tries to apologize for his actions. Keith: “Oh geez, I- I'm so sorry, Mr. Loud. I didn't mean to-” Lynn Sr.: “No, no, no, you're fine, it's all right. It's not the first time the thing's broken like that.” Keith: “It's not?” Lynn Sr.: “Nope. But, not to worry, I can have that fixed in a jiff. Lana! Bring down my tools and some boards!” After he had walked away, Keith and Luna continue to make their way up the stairs. Keith: “I feel like I'm not really making a good first impression.” Luna: “You're good, dude. Stuff breaks in this house all the time.” Keith: “Really?” Luna: “Yeah, but you get used to it. Especially when the 'rents always insist on fixing it all themselves.” Once they had gotten to the top of the stairs, Keith sees a little blond girl with a red cap and overalls running past them with some boards and tools heading down the stairs, which he presumed was Lana. Lucy: “Excuse me.” Keith: “AAAHH!” Luna: “AHH!” They were startled by the gloomy goth member of the family, Lucy, who had suddenly appeared in front of them from her and Lynn's room. Keith was more frightened by her sudden appearance when he had place a hand near his heart on his chest. Keith: “Oh, holy shamoley, you scared me.” Lucy: “I have that affect on a lot of people.” Luna: “What's up, Lucy?” Lucy: “I need your opinion on this poem I'm working on.” Luna: “Sure thing, sis. You go on ahead, Keith. I'll catch up in a bit. My room's the last door on the right.” He nods in acknowledgment and walks down the hallway. She was about to follow her little sister into the room, but was reminded about her roommate sister and calls out to Keith. Luna: “Oh, and my roomie, Luan is probably still in there, so you might wanna knock first.” Keith: “Got it.” And with that, Luna had gone into Lucy and Lynn's room while Keith continued down the hallway until he was standing in front of the door leading to Luna and Luan's room. He knocks on the door with a “Shave and a Haircut, Two Bits” and he hears a response. Luan: “Who's there?” Keith: “Keith.” Luan: “Keith who?” Keith: “Keith Fong. Can I come in?” Just then, the door opens a bit and then a ventriloquist puppet, better known as Mr. Coconuts, was being held out from the door and spoke to him. Mr. Coconuts: “You call that a knock-knock joke? Bah! Amateur. Let a pro show ya how it's done.” Then the puppet was pulled back into the room, the door closes and was knocked on from the other side. Luan: “Knock knock.” Keith: “…Who's there?” Luan: “Says.” Keith: “Says who?” And then, the door opens to reveal the comedic member of the Loud family as she delivers the punchline. Luan: “Open sesame. Ha ha ha ha ha, get it?” Keith: “Oh, ha ha. Yeah, I get it.” The comedian then extends her free hand out for a handshake, but also had a little something strapped onto it. Luan: “Pleasure to meet you, Keith Fong. Luan Loud's my name, comedy's my game.” Keith: “It's nice to meet you, too- YYYOOOWW!” Little did Keith know, Luan had a joy buzzer strapped to her hand and gave the guest a zap the second he grabbed her hand for a handshake. This was the second time in one day he had been electrocuted. Luan: “Ha ha, that's what you might call a shocking encounter. Ha ha ha ha ha, get it?” Keith: “Agh, yup, I got it all right.” Luan: “So, you're the guy that Luna's gonna teach how to play the guitar, huh?” Keith: “Yeah, that's me.” Luan: “She told us about you yesterday. If all goes well, she just might turn out to be a great instru-mentor for you. Ha ha ha ha ha.” After that, she walks out the room and toward the stairs with Mr. Coconuts to go make some of her famous whipped cream pies. Keith: “Heh. Good one.” When he had stepped inside the room, he hears a farting noise, looks down and realizes that he had stepped on a whoopee cushion. In hindsight, he probably should have seen that coming. He then pushes the whoopee cushion to the side with his shoe. Not knowing when Luna was gonna be here soon, he takes his time looking around the room. However, one thing he always struggled with was controlling his habit of being nosy at times. He starts off by examining the desk that was filled with different comedy props and even a business poster on the wall. Keith: “'Funny Business Inc.' Did Luan even come up with her own business? Huh, she is''really'' into comedy. Wonder if Dominic knows about this? I bet those two would be thick as thieves.” When he turns around, the guest finds a bunch of instruments on one corner of the room and inside the closet. He moves closer to get a better look at them. Keith: “Wow. Drums, electronic piano, violin, guitars; Luna seems very passionate when it comes to music.” He then diverted his attention to an amp near the bedside table that was beside the bunk bed and finds music albums stacked on top of it. He picks them up and notices that nearly every single one of them was by the same musician; Mick Swagger. Keith: “I guess it's safe to say that she's a very big fan of Mick and his music.” After he finished looking at all the albums he was holding, he had noticed a drawer on the table. Letting his curiosity get the best him, he starts reaching his hand toward it. Luna: “See something you like?” Keith: “D'ah!” He had dropped the albums and they landed back on the amp. The teen turns around to see Luna by the doorway with a raised eyebrow. Keith: “Uh, I… I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be nosy or anything. I just-” Luna: “It's fine. No harm done. Just be sure to ask for permission the next time you wanna go looking through my albums.” Keith: “Okay.” Luna: “Anyways, are you ready to get started with our little guitar lesson?” Keith: “Yes. Yes, I am.” Luna: “Awesome. First things first. We gotta make sure your instrument is properly tuned. May I?” Keith: “Sure, of course.” He sets down his bags, unzips the gig bag to take out his acoustic guitar and hands it over to Luna. The rocker takes a minute to look over the instrument and grins when she recognized the model. Luna: “Oh yeah, you got good taste.” She takes a seat on her beanbag chair in the room while Keith stands idly by with his hands in his hoodie pockets and watches her tuning the first string to his instrument. Luna: “Once you get more experienced with this, you'll be able to figure this out on your own. Till then, I'd recommend getting yourself a tuner.” Keith: “Tuner? You mean, one of those clip-on thingies you put on the head of the guitar?” Luna: “You got it, man. I used to have one, but it kinda got broken. Don't ask.” Once she had finished tuning the first string, she moves on to the next. However, this one started giving her trouble in getting it in tune as she mutters in her British accent. Luna: “Come on now, love. Talk to me.” Keith: “Wait. Was that a British accent you just did?” Luna: “Yeah, it was. I have a habit of doing that sometimes.” Keith: “I liked it.” Luna: “Really?” Keith: “Yeah. I mean, I am a bit of an anglophile, so I really admire a lot of English and British stuff. In fact, some of my favorite musicians and bands are British. Such as The Rolling Rocks, The Cockroaches, Iceplay-” Luna: “Mick Swagger?” Keith: “Oh yeah, he's definitely on my top five.” Luna: “Cheers, mate.” When she finally got the string in tune, she continues tuning the rest of them while Keith keeps the conversation going. Keith: “So, I've noticed you've got quite a few sisters.” Luna: “That's a bit of an understatement, dude.” Keith: “How many do you have?” Luna: “Nine sisters. Plus, one little brother.” Keith: “You got ten siblings? Whoa. I've never met anyone with a family that big before. I can't imagine what it would be like to grow up with that many siblings.” Luna: “It can get pretty chaotic around here most of the time, but it's not all bad. We all love each other and we always got each others' back.” Keith had smiled in response. Luna: “So, how about you? You got any siblings?” That smile had quickly switched to a frown as he diverted his gaze. Keith: “Um, y-yeah. My older brothers. But… the thing is, we don't really talk that much anymore.” Luna: “You don't? How come?” Keith: “I… I- I don't really wanna talk about it.” Luna: “Oh, okay. Sorry I asked.” Keith: “No, it's okay. Really.” They didn't have anything else to say and remained silent while the rocker kept tuning his guitar. Once she was done, she excitedly stands back up and gives the guest back his instrument. Luna: “And Bingo was his name-o. Your guitar is all good and tuned.” Keith: “Thanks.” Luna: “Now we can really get down to business.” She goes to her bedside table, opens the drawer and pulls out some sheets of paper that had information about notes and cords. Luna: “Let's start off with the basics.” She leads him up to her own bed, where they officially began Keith's lesson in how to play guitar. 50 MINUTES LATER… Despite the constant shouting and other loud noises going on inside the house, the two of them had spent nearly an hour in the room with Luna showing Keith everything she knows about playing guitar. What the notes are, how to hold the instrument and pick, how to play a chord and so on. Right now, Luna was playing some notes with her own guitar and Keith was trying to follow along by playing the exact same notes. However, he was struggling with that when he had just played off key. Again. Keith: “Oops.” Luna: “That's okay. Let's do it again. Try not to force it. Just relax and let the music flow naturally.” Keith: “Right. Let the music flow.” He gives it another try and was able to do better than before. Luna: “That's it. You got it.” They kept going until they were interrupted by the ring tone of Keith's smart phone. He pulls out his phone from his pocket and sees a text message from Joanna. She was reminding him about the school project they had to work on. The time on his phone was 4:15. When he had first arrived, it was over an hour ago. Keith: “Hey, Luna, I should get going.” Luna: “Now?” Keith: “Yeah, I promised my friend I'd be back before 5:00 for a school project we have to get done and if I leave now, I should be able to make it back with a few minutes to spare.” Luna: “I gotcha. You know, you really are getting good at this. There are some things we'd need to keep working on, though.” Keith: “Does this mean you want to keep teaching me?” Luna: “Sure, dude. We can make this a regular thing.” Keith: “Well, all right.” Luna: “Here, lemme give you my number in case anything comes up.” She had taken out her own phone from her pocket and the two of them exchange their numbers. Luna: “You can even keep those papers to help you remember what you've learned if that helps. I hardly ever use them anymore anyways.” Keith: “Thanks, Luna.” And with that, he packs up his guitar, along with the basics notes, straps on his bags and proceeds follows the rocker out of the room, avoiding the family hamster, Geo, rolling in his ball and their canary, Walt, flew past them while walking down the stairs with the handrail repaired. Again. Before he reached the bottom of the stairs, he looks at the living room and sees Luna's only brother, Lincoln, still playing the same video game and watches from where he was standing. Lincoln: “Come on, come on, I can do this! I can do this!” Unfortunately, he could not do it since his character had died on screen and he throws his fist up in frustration. Lincoln: “Dang it! Argh, this is ridiculous! How am I supposed to get past all that?! And I'm down to my last life again, too.” Keith actually recognized the video game he was playing and the level he was at. He remembered how frustrating it had been for him before he eventually figured out how to beat it. And so, he decides to give the white-haired boy some assistance when he walks over to the family couch and greets him. Keith: “Hello.” Lincoln: “Huh? Oh, uh, hi.” Keith: “You know, there's actually a secret to beating this level.” Lincoln: “Wait, what? There's a secret?” Keith: “Mm-hmm. You see, if you go back to the start of the area where you died at, but instead, head upwards and to the left, you'll find a much easier way to get through this level.” Lincoln doesn't think to question it and just follows the advice the guest gave him. At this point, he was willing to take any help he can get. Once he got his character back to the same area and instead of following the usual path, he makes his character jump up some platforms while moving left like Keith said, and then, he soon finds a hidden doorway he wasn't even aware of. Lincoln: “Wow! I didn't know that was there. How did you know about that?” Keith: “I've dabbled a little in video games.” Once his character goes through the doorway, he finds this new path much easier than the path he had been struggling with for a while. It wasn't long until Lincoln had finally reach the goal of the level and celebrates by jumping on the couch. Lincoln: “Whoo-hoo! Yes! Finally! I've been trying to beat that level for nearly a week. Thanks so much- uhh, who are you?” Keith: “Oh, right, where are my manners? My name's Keith Fong.” The two then exchange a handshake with each other. Lincoln: “Nice to meet you. I'm Lincoln Loud. You're the guy my sister, Luna is teaching to play guitar, right?” Keith: “That's right. We actually just finished our first session a minute ago.” Lincoln: “Cool. Well, thanks again for helping me out with this. I really appreciate it.” Keith: “You're welcome, Lincoln.” After that, he meets up with Luna, who had been watching and waiting by the front door. Luna: “That was a pretty rad thing you did for my bro.” Keith: “Yeah, well, I learned the hard way how difficult it was to get through that level when I first played it. In fact, it actually took me weeks before I finally found out about that secret.” Luna: “No kidding? Keith: “I am not kidding. I was about to lose my mind back then.” Luna: “In that case, he'll be really happy knowing how much time you saved him.” Keith: “I'm glad that I could help. So, same time tomorrow?” Luna: “Same time tomorrow. Goodbye for now, Keith.” Keith: “Laters, Luna.” And so, Luna opens the door for her new friend, Keith steps outside, waves goodbye until she closes it and he walks down the porch to head back home. Despite a few setbacks, his first visit to the Loud house actually turned out pretty well. He couldn't wait to tell Dominic, Brian and Joanna all about his experience with this unique and somewhat chaotic family. And above all else, he was feeling really good about how his first guitar lesson went. That is, until his shoe had broken through the same wooden step on the porch. Keith: “Oops.” Category:Episodes